From the people who brought you the Taser, the headcam that turns every policeman into a Robocop

Police officers could soon be equipped with cameras attached to their uniform recording incidents as they happen and providing valuable evidence in the fight against crime.

Taser International, the manufacturer of stun guns now used in everyday police work, has developed the technology which it claims could be the next major advancement in policing.

The Axon Flex, is similar to the Glass project being developed by Google, and consists of a head-mounted camera worn by officers to record evidence from incidents as they work their patrols.

The camera captures the previous 30 seconds of video only, without audio, before beginning full audio-and-video recording

It could not only prove invaluable in collecting evidence, but also in providing greater transparency in incidents where officers are accused of over-reacting and save forces on expensive litigation.

Launched last year, the 3.2-inch camera can be clipped onto a baseball cap or Oakley eye wear, with a control unit that can worn on the inside of the police uniform, just below the chest.

Once switched on, the camera operates constantly, for up to 12 hours. But it only begins recording when the officer presses a quarter-sized button on the front of the control unit.

Then it captures the previous 30 seconds of video only, without audio, before beginning full audio-and-video recording.

The technology could help provide greater transparency in incidents where officers are accused of over-reacting and save forces on expensive litigation

As the camera captures evidence, the video is sent by Bluetooth to an iPhone or Android device and streamed over 3G to Taser’s cloud platform, Evidence.com. It is a web service designed to store and categorize videos so they can be used in court to bolster police reports.

Civil liberty groups have expressed concerns about privacy issues, but the manufacturers claim the increased transparency the technology brings will benefit everyone.

Cincinnati-based civil rights lawyer Scott Greenwood told The Verge that police forces around the country could save millions if the technology is used properly.

‘You really can’t overstate how much liability could be decreased with the use of these devices,’ he said.

Left: The Axon Flex system is modeled on an officer and, right, the interface for the Evidence.com platofrm

He believes Flex could be beneficial to police while protecting the rights of civilians, but specific policies are required to ensure officers don’t just turn the system off when it suits them to.

The technology is already being used by several police departments. In Mesa, Arizona, the force has purchased $50,000 worth of the cameras and believes it will quickly pay for itself in helping to defend against lawsuits.

Last year allegations from a false arrest and traffic incident forced Mesa to pay $62,500 to settle just one case, reports The Verge.

Tasers are now used by nearly 90 percent of the U.S.’s 18,000 police departments

The likelihood of Axon Flex being adopted by police forces across the country is heightened by the fact it is made by the developer of the taser, which is now used by nearly 90 percent of the U.S.’s 18,000 police departments.

Taser has also been accepted onto Google’s Glass Explorer program to look at future of law enforcement.

The company is confident that this type of technology will become part of everyday police work over the next ten years.

13 Responses to From the people who brought you the Taser, the headcam that turns every policeman into a Robocop

I would suggest that people get their own version of this device, or something similar, because if the video is ever needed to prove a cop is a crook, you’ll get the standard “the camera wasn’t working” response from the police department.

No shit! That is the standard that the Round Rock police department gives me all the time when I ask why they edited some footage. This camera thing is bullshit. How is it any different than a camera in their police car or the one clipped on their shirt? All it is is to make the police look good while wearing their thuggish sunglasses that they feel the need to wear because they are too much of a coward to stare at you with their own eyes. They use their excuse, “Well, I don’t want the people to see what I’m looking at because I need to have them look at me, while I look everywhere else without them noticing” like a common crook.

These bastards cops are nothing but criminals, plain and simple. Criminals with toys. And when you have sunglasses and they tell you to take them off and you don’t, then they give the “I’m ordering you to take off your glasses.” and if you don’t they ask you to step out of the car or tase or arrest you JUST FOR NOT TAKING OFF YOUR SUNGLASSES!!!!! At least that is the Round Rock police department way.

And if you say, “I’ll take off mine if you take off yours”, they’ll give the “Do you know who you are talking to? Do you see this badge? This says, I give the orders not you.” speech. And if you still refuse, then comes the step out of the car scenario, followed by the tasing and a call for backup from one of their friends (as if they need it after you are helplessly unarmed and tased on the ground. More like him calling for backup and saying, “I just tased a guy. Hurry up and come here so you can get dibbs or so you can hold him while I beat his ass some more as I search his pants and molest him.”) and then haul you off to jail while saying, “See, if you just would have taken off your sunglasses none of this would have ever happened.” And then later tell you, “I know you are probably a good person. I just think you are a little misguided. That’s all.” Sounds like something Officer Cox would say. Oh wait! He did! Sick bastard.

Welcome to the NEW WORLD ORDER people. That’s the way it is until WE THE PEOPLE grow some balls and take matters into our own hands.

No doubt #1, I see that there is a white cop and a black cop there and it is the white cop doing the frisking. Would it have been the black doing the frisking if the suspect was white, if ya know what I`m sayin`

As always, promoted from a pro cop, pro police State viewpoint. Of course the fine officers will turn it off or the video will go missing if it proves a pig attack. Individuals should get these and use them against the cops.